


The Sound of Serenity

by playingaaronburr



Category: Firefly
Genre: 16 is young in some places, Difficult Decisions, F/M, Falling In Love, Love, River Tam - Freeform, Self Confidence Issues, sounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-26 17:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19010146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playingaaronburr/pseuds/playingaaronburr
Summary: Privacy, especially on a ship filled with people, is a useful commodity.But, as the saying goes, where there’s a will there’s a way.And River and Mal usually found a way.





	The Sound of Serenity

**Author's Note:**

> Note at the end!

The first thing she learned while aboard Serenity was just how much sound a ship could make.   
She learned how engines could hum and rubble, how the movements of people, thumping and  
hitting the steal below would ring throughout the hallways and how the laughter and words of   
a crew could travel through air, vents and cable lines, and fire, the heat of the turrets above and   
the turbos behind.   
Privacy, especially on a ship filled with people, is a useful commodity.  
But, as the saying goes, where there’s a will there’s a way.  
And River and Mal usually found a way.   
Her brother, she knew, had little respect for the Captain.  
Mal, similarly, had punched her brother too often to ever convince her that they he would like Simon.  
But it was too easy to now follow after him.   
To slip into the small space near the bow of the ship, legs around his waist, hands around his neck.  
Hands clawing at him.   
Mouth whimpering for him.   
It was getting too easy to hold him afterwards.   
To pull him in and keep him there.  
The first time they had touched, she’d had to hold him there.   
His skin was warm and rough covered in calluses, from years of war and theft.   
Hers, sweet and soft - her hands remaining unblemished even after months of weapon training.   
But it was his eyes that pulled her in, that laid her bare and warm.  
There’s a twist of relief in her heart when, one day, when they’re done, he doesn’t pull away.   
But leans against her, nuzzling her cheek, hands wrapped around her thighs, thumbs stroking   
the coarse hairs that lay there.   
“You, he murmurs in her hair, eyes far away from hers, are so beautiful.”   
She smiles into his chest, lips pursed as if to kiss.  
The material of his brown shirt rough against her lips.  
“You, she whispers back, pulling away, pulling him down to meet her, are beautiful”   
He laughs, “Měilì ér yòu fēngkuáng”  
“Kimi mo,” she replies, a coy smile on her lips.  
Mal rolls his eyes, and she doesn’t need to be a psychic to know he thinks she’s gone off the end  
again.   
He picks her up, arms wrapped around her waist and pulls her off of him, his hands, as rough as  
they are, still gentle in how they handle her.  
He pulls her slim underwear up her thighs and pulls her dress down to her knees. It’s only after  
he’s buckled his pants and pulled his browncoat over his shoulders that he leans down to put   
her boots on.   
Her old ones were filled with holes when, about a week ago, he’d found her a new pair.   
“Thick enuff to keep yer feet warm when the airs turned cold, and thin enuff to keep ya dancin’   
graceful and easy,” he whispered into her neck, when she’d thanked him for the gift.  
She’d smile then too, her hands still wrapped around him.   
His English was terrible, it was grated and rough, but she could never see him speaking in the lilith  
tongues of her father, or the structured sentences of his brother.   
“Easy, she whispered to him, they’ll think you’re soft on me”  
“Good,” he thought.   
But he was silent and she made no move to reply.  
His thoughts, even if she could hear them, were his own, and she’d never use it against him.  
Maybe t‘ell know what I’m too much of a gorram cowar’ to say”   
She only pulled him closer when she’d heard that thought, her lips kissing his temple.   
She figures that’s why people fall in love though.   
To see what the other person can’t.   
The output and the inputs that make the person you love good and bad.   
Mal is courageous, heroic to a fault.   
His biggest weakness is his biggest strength.   
He’d do anything for the people he loves and anything they ask of him he’d freely give.   
River is smart, intelligent to a fault.  
It’s her biggest weakness as well.   
The thing that pushes people away and yet brought her family, brought Serenity, closer.  
She realizes something, something lovingly cruel.   
Without the Alliance she never would have been crazy.   
Without the Alliance she never would have needed rescue.   
Without the Alliance she never would have met Mel.   
Or Wash.   
Or Zoe.  
Or Kaylie.   
Or even Jean, for that matter.   
The sounds of the ship buzz beneath their bed and it lures her mind towards sleep.  
And yet there is a strange part of her that can’t fall asleep just yet.   
It’s as if Serenity, buzzing and cool, has prompted her awake.   
For just a little while longer.  
“You know Mal, she murmured against his chest, hands running up his sides, you don’t give yourself   
enough credit.”  
There’s a murmur above her but, Serenity, pleased and pacified, is content to watch her fall into sleep,   
hands tight in her own.

**Author's Note:**

> I hate the fact that I just found this amazing show (ie. Firefly) only to realize it was canceled - which, is stupid!   
> I watched Serenity, and I loved it ( even though that's kind of like saying you like the Star Wars Prequels) but I just wish there was more!   
> Hence, my desire to write more fanfiction for it!   
> (Especially because Mal and River should def. be a thing!)  
> I hope you guys enjoy this new collection and remember to review/like!


End file.
